FCT community with no water, toilets or health centre
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- Category: Around and about
- Written by Adie Vanessa Offiong
- Hits: 775
The absolute lack of water or the scarcity of it is one that has always been a reason for worry the world over. Inhabitants of such places are prone to a variety of diseases including cholera, dysentery, skin diseases amongst many others; and for the most part, women and children and usually at the receiving end. This is the situation in Guto Community of Bwari Area Council.
In carrying out Behavioural Change Communication intervention programme popularly called BCC, Ahmadu Bello University students of the Development Communication visited Guto Community.In this community as in many others, it is common sight to see women and children at various times of the day trekking down the narrow foot paths with clay pots on shoulders, basins etc, to fetch water. While some are going uphill in search of same, houses and other vicinities with boreholes have to, on daily basis, contend with long queues of mai ruwas waiting to fetch water which they go to sell off to eager customers like those in Guto.
Digging wells is usually a first option for many in such situations, but the grounds of Guto have proved difficult to dig any wells because of its loose nature and ability to sink easily. Secretary of the community, Mallam Danlami, explained that, “In the past, we had made attempts to dig wells but our efforts have been unsuccessful.”
He also informed that as part of the Universal Basic Education project, a Yobe-based company had come in 2008 to drill a borehole around the school premises as part of facilities to go along with the new school building. “A company based in Yobe was here to drill this borehole about three years ago while erecting the school building. It was then that the toilets were also built so that pupils and teachers could stop indiscriminate defecation. We had an elaborate ceremony to commission the project and were very joyous at our good fortune. But hardly had we stopped clapping when water stopped flowing from the taps; that happened soon after they left till date”.
Visibly dirty and almost murky, women of the community while fetching water, have to go into the source ankle deep to get water. Interestingly, it does not matter that their feet is in, they drink directly from there before filling up their containers. Forced to ask if it were a case of ignorance or non-chalance, they explained to our reporter that they were very aware of the implications of their actions. Jemila, one of the group members translated the response of the women thus, “We are usually thirsty by the time we get here and have no choice but to drink it directly.” They then pointed out that when they take the water home, they always boil it before drinking. Henry Agbonika of the BCC group asked what the relevance of boiling the water was when they get home when, at the stream, they had already drank directly. He explained to them that the diseases and germs being prevented by boiling have already been consumed from their direct drinking at the stream. Their response to this was a shrug of their shoulders and indifference to the danger.
Action Aid, through the Society for Community Development, made donations of milling machines to aid the women. But according to the community, since last year when the first part of the machine was assembled, the second part is yet to be brought. Thus, it has been kept in the wraps as it was delivered and has not served any of the purposes for which it was initially meant.
It is bad enough to survive without an adequate water source. To survive without an adequate toilet facility, even a pit latrine, is an even worse. But this has been the case of this Gwari settlement. According to Danlami, “We have never had to dig or build a toilet and do not have any sanitary facilities in our homes. The children use the school toilets or use the surrounding bushes.”
The adults also toe the line of the children as Jemila later explained. “We have potties in our houses which we use at night and empty in the mornings as we clean up. During the day when we feel pressed, we go to the bushes after carefully looking around to ensure that no one is watching.” Asked whether they were not scared of infections or diseases she said, “Toh! That’s the way we have been doing it.”
Although the rows of toilets still exist, children were found to be defecating all around the school premises. They complained that the toilets were dirty as there was no water to flush or wash them.
Even though one may say that the government has failed in its efforts to provide Guto with portable pipe borne water, it is clear that the indigenes themselves have not done much to help their situation especially staying in their comfort zone lacking toilet facilities and paying no attention to proper hygiene and health habits. As a result, they have suffered the consequences of their actions because they have been besieged by a barrage of illnesses. Worse still, they do not have a health centre and have to go into Bwari town for every case of ill health treatment.
This notwithstanding, the BCC group is discussing ways through which they can change their behaviours and mindset regarding their lack of adequate toilet facilities and better attitude to water consumption. Having made the discoveries and the women too have been convinced that they had not adopted the right attitudes in their living conditions, they came up with ways through which they could make adjustments for their own good.
FCT community with no water, toilets or health centre
Category: Around and about Written by Adie Vanessa Offiong Hits: 775
The absolute lack of water or the scarcity of it is one that has always been a reason for worry the world over. Inhabitants of such places are prone to a variety of diseases including cholera, dysentery, skin diseases amongst many others; and for the most part, women and children and usually at the receiving end. This is the situation in Guto Community of Bwari Area Council.
In carrying out Behavioural Change Communication intervention programme popularly called BCC, Ahmadu Bello University students of the Development Communication visited Guto Community.In this community as in many others, it is common sight to see women and children at various times of the day trekking down the narrow foot paths with clay pots on shoulders, basins etc, to fetch water. While some are going uphill in search of same, houses and other vicinities with boreholes have to, on daily basis, contend with long queues of mai ruwas waiting to fetch water which they go to sell off to eager customers like those in Guto.
Digging wells is usually a first option for many in such situations, but the grounds of Guto have proved difficult to dig any wells because of its loose nature and ability to sink easily. Secretary of the community, Mallam Danlami, explained that, “In the past, we had made attempts to dig wells but our efforts have been unsuccessful.”
He also informed that as part of the Universal Basic Education project, a Yobe-based company had come in 2008 to drill a borehole around the school premises as part of facilities to go along with the new school building. “A company based in Yobe was here to drill this borehole about three years ago while erecting the school building. It was then that the toilets were also built so that pupils and teachers could stop indiscriminate defecation. We had an elaborate ceremony to commission the project and were very joyous at our good fortune. But hardly had we stopped clapping when water stopped flowing from the taps; that happened soon after they left till date”.
Visibly dirty and almost murky, women of the community while fetching water, have to go into the source ankle deep to get water. Interestingly, it does not matter that their feet is in, they drink directly from there before filling up their containers. Forced to ask if it were a case of ignorance or non-chalance, they explained to our reporter that they were very aware of the implications of their actions. Jemila, one of the group members translated the response of the women thus, “We are usually thirsty by the time we get here and have no choice but to drink it directly.” They then pointed out that when they take the water home, they always boil it before drinking. Henry Agbonika of the BCC group asked what the relevance of boiling the water was when they get home when, at the stream, they had already drank directly. He explained to them that the diseases and germs being prevented by boiling have already been consumed from their direct drinking at the stream. Their response to this was a shrug of their shoulders and indifference to the danger.
Action Aid, through the Society for Community Development, made donations of milling machines to aid the women. But according to the community, since last year when the first part of the machine was assembled, the second part is yet to be brought. Thus, it has been kept in the wraps as it was delivered and has not served any of the purposes for which it was initially meant.
It is bad enough to survive without an adequate water source. To survive without an adequate toilet facility, even a pit latrine, is an even worse. But this has been the case of this Gwari settlement. According to Danlami, “We have never had to dig or build a toilet and do not have any sanitary facilities in our homes. The children use the school toilets or use the surrounding bushes.”
The adults also toe the line of the children as Jemila later explained. “We have potties in our houses which we use at night and empty in the mornings as we clean up. During the day when we feel pressed, we go to the bushes after carefully looking around to ensure that no one is watching.” Asked whether they were not scared of infections or diseases she said, “Toh! That’s the way we have been doing it.”
Although the rows of toilets still exist, children were found to be defecating all around the school premises. They complained that the toilets were dirty as there was no water to flush or wash them.
Even though one may say that the government has failed in its efforts to provide Guto with portable pipe borne water, it is clear that the indigenes themselves have not done much to help their situation especially staying in their comfort zone lacking toilet facilities and paying no attention to proper hygiene and health habits. As a result, they have suffered the consequences of their actions because they have been besieged by a barrage of illnesses. Worse still, they do not have a health centre and have to go into Bwari town for every case of ill health treatment.
This notwithstanding, the BCC group is discussing ways through which they can change their behaviours and mindset regarding their lack of adequate toilet facilities and better attitude to water consumption. Having made the discoveries and the women too have been convinced that they had not adopted the right attitudes in their living conditions, they came up with ways through which they could make adjustments for their own good.